Two men have been locked up after a chilling chase and shooting in the heart of Birmingham city centre on New Year’s Day.
The victim, a man in his 20s, was hunted down by Christ Lidiu in the early hours before being shot in the shoulder on Constitution Hill. Luckily, his injuries were not life-threatening.
As the victim desperately fled, he crashed into a passing car. But Lidiu kept the pressure on, firing a shot that hit the victim’s shoulder. Lidiu then made a quick getaway in a car driven by his partner-in-crime, Exauce Mazebo.
The getaway car, a Seat Leon, was found just four days later. Lidiu was arrested in Solihull shortly after. Mazebo was caught during a firearms raid at an Erdington address. CCTV footage and phone records placed both men at the scene.
The pair had fought earlier that night, fetched a gun from Lidiu’s home, then returned to Constitution Hill to confront the victim. Mazebo tried to ditch his phone in a freezer and planned to flee Birmingham.
Despite denying involvement, both men were found guilty of attempted murder after a fierce trial. On Tuesday 10 March at Birmingham Crown Court, 26-year-old Lidiu from Perry Barr was sentenced to 27 years. His accomplice, 24-year-old Mazebo from West Bromwich, was handed 22 years behind bars.
This violent New Year’s Day shooting rattled the city, but quick police action ensured these dangerous criminals face a long stretch inside.
Originally published by UKNIP.
